We Only Said Goodbye With Words
by fartsinurface6
Summary: Goodbye was what they said. But even if they only see each other in glee club and never talk...will they stand not being with each other? Or will Puck let Sam steal Quinn away?
1. How It All Went Down Plus The Truth

_What brings us closer is the thing that tears us apart. _

Puck looked at his room. Yesterday, it seemed so familiar to him; the rock band posters, his four poster bed, the Mac computer, the desk, the amplifier, the red Gibson SG and the acoustic guitar that he always played. There was also the untidy stack of printed-out guitar tabs in the corner. Even the smell of his room was familiar to him, like newly polished wood of his guitar and some sort of musky deodorant. When Quinn moved in the room had a sudden change. Like it's aura had changed. Now Quinn was moving out back to her old house now that Beth; their baby was born and was with Shelby Corcoran. There were a few suitcases filled with her stuff and was strewn about the room. After Beth was born she had been a little too quiet and Puck was a bit preoccupied to even do anything about it. Now it was finally taking it's toll on him. He stared wordlessly at Quinn who was talking with her mom on the phone while he was sitting across from her. She was dressed in her silk pajamas, ready for bed. She was sprawled on his bed while he was on his desk chair.

" sounds good. Sure. Bye." With that she put down the phone. She looks down for a minute and her eyes meets Puck.

She didn't want to have this conversation now. But she had to. Sure it would hurt them both but she didn't want to admit it. "Puck. I'm breaking up with you." She said, her heart feeling pumped with air. She imagined Puck; once hearing that, he would give a reason of why she should be with him and a single tear would streak his face but no. Puck didn't look surprised or angry. Just hurt.

A weak smile crossed his face but it collapsed under the weight of his pain. It hurt her just to look at him.

"I knew it would come to this. Just not this soon. I wish we could've had a few more months, y'know?" Puck said, she could really hear that he was close to tears.

She reached over and touched his hand which was cold. "I'm sorry Puck. Sincerely, genuinely sorry. It's just that - "

"No. I know. It was because of Beth right? That you wanted to be with me? So we could raise her right?" Now she felt his pain coursing up her hand and into her chest.

"No. That's not it." But what was the real reason why she was with him in the first place? Sure, the baby bump was a factor but there was something else. She just couldn't get her tongue around the fact that she didn't want to break up with Puck but she didn't want to be with him either.

"It just won't work between us. You have your standards and I have mine."

"We can make it work. We have to make it work. You know I love you Quinn. You know that better than anyone."

"I have my own priorities Puck and you have yours. When we get back to school…it's going to be different. I need a fresh start after…after what happened. We wanted different things. We need to go on our separate ways and that's that. It's done. Nothing more."

"I can understand that. The 'I have my own priorities and you have yours' part. What's going to be different when we get back? What? That Finn and Rachel becomes McKinley's power couple or the fact that people still think you're a slut? I've heard a lot of people say that because I parted your Red Sea that night so don't judge me when I say that. I said to you that it wasn't just another hookup for me because it meant something. Wether you believe it or not."

Quinn felt the tears running up her eyes but she squeezed her eyes shut. "You're lying. You're lying." She whispered, close to tears. "No, I'm not."

"I had sex with you because you got me drunk."

"No way. You weren't drunk, you were sober. You're an angry drunk and you definitely weren't angry. Sure I gave you a couple wine coolers but not enough to make you even buzzed. So tell me the truth Quinn. What was going through your mind?" Puck said softly, running his fingertips lightly on her cheek.

"I don't know. I wasn't thinking straight."

"Why won't you just admit that you like me too?"

"I never did."

"Quinn." Puck pulled his face closer to hers. Quinn couldn't handle it anymore. She was over this. But she knew it was real, what she said. "Okay. Fine. I like you Puck. More than like you. That's why I want to break up with you. I don't want to become too attached to a person that they'll hurt me. I don't expect you to understand but please just…respect my decision."

Puck closed his eyes, his chest felt like it had been run over with Artie's wheelchair. To him it didn't make sense but at her request he needed to respect her decision. "Okay. Fine. I don't really get it but I respect it." For what seemed like hours they held each other's gaze, like they were having a private conversation through eye contact. His face was now only inches from hers. A single, pearly tear streaked her face and he gently wiped it away with his thumb. He held her hand, feeling the warmth course through him. With each passing second their faces drew closer and closer together. Her head was now on his chest, hearing the beat of his heart, in perfect sync with hers. Puck pressed his lips against her hair. It felt like silk against his lips. He inhaled the scent of her hair. It smelled like vanilla and roses. He figured if angels were real they'd probably smell like this.

Quinn raised her head so her eyes met his. Their lips met and Quinn felt like a big weight has been lifted off her shoulders. She couldn't resist the way he tasted and she couldn't help but kiss back. She pulled him closer and onto the bed. Her heart pounded against her ribs with immense strength that she was sure Puck could hear it. Puck eased into her. Quinn inhaled his musky scent on his neck

. Puck kissed her back passionately and her lips melted into each other.

This was a kiss she would never forget. She knew perfectly what it meant. It was a kiss goodbye. Goodbye to the very best of herself.

To Be Continued

This is what Quinn and Puck's break up would look like… in my head. It was sort of on impulse to write this so i hope u liked this =))


	2. Janitor's Closet

As Puck shoved the little Jew-Fro fart away, more depressed than ever, Puck threw on his shirt and walked out of there like nothing happened. Determined to find Quinn and get her to a place where they could talk was just as scary lifting up a nun's dress and taking a picture of her chastity belt. _Nothing scares the Puckster. Nothing. _He told himself. It gave him a little confidence. But he started to get worried after there was only ten minutes to the bell. He gave up hope after five minutes of frantic searching. On his way to biology, there was a crowd in the middle of the hall.

"Oh she has a family! She's a mother!" A familiar taunting but hot voice filled his ears. Santana. _Mother? Someone's not pregnant are they? Because they'd usually turn on me when some girl is preggers. _Puck thought, but he hasn't screwed anyone. That could only mean one girl. Quinn. The crowd parted as Mr. Schue and Quinn broke through. The crowd broke off to their classes and Puck leaned against the lockers. Mr. Schue ad Quinn were only a few feet away and Mr. Schue was saying something to Quinn. Once Mr. Schue and his curly hair walked off, leaving Quinn alone, Puck tapped her shoulder. She turned to him, furious, "What?"

"I wanna talk to you about something."

"Can it wait?" She was still seething mad.

"No." Puck grabbed her hand and dragged her to the nearest janitor's closet. It was dark but Puck didn't switch on the lights. Outside, the bell rang.

Quinn was flustered. "What do you want? We're already late for class."

"Class can wait. And you can too."

Quinn smoothed out her Cheerios uniform and then she faced Puck. Still flustered but not as much as before.

"You okay now?" Puck asked.

"Yeah. What do you want to talk to me about that's so important that we both have to miss class?" Quinn said, folding her arms.

"It's about…what…you know…" Puck began, feeling his voice crack.

Quinn's expression softened. Her lips formed into a tiny pout which Puck remembered when she was upset she'd pout like that. He also thought it was super cute.

"What…what about it?"

"I wanna be with you Quinn."

"We cannot go through this again. I already told you."

"Yeah, I know but still. We can't pretend like it never happened between us."

"Yes we can. We can and we will. If I didn't tell you all that stuff would you still go after me?"

"Yeah. Nothing's gonna stop the Puckster. Nothing. Not even you babe. Pregnant or not." Puck said cockily.

Puck put his arms over his head and stretched. The janitor's closet was small and dingy and smelled like paint. It felt very cramped up. Quinn bit her bottom lip, seeing the strip of skin on his abs. Puck yawned and put his head against the wall. "I'm waiting."

"I'm focusing on myself this year Puck and you cannot mess it up. I can't just show up with a man on my arm in the first week of school."

"Then we can wait." Puck said calmly.

"No. You can wait. Wait as long as you want, you're never going to make me change my mind." Quinn said harshly. Puck stayed quiet then he said, "Just give me a chance."

"You had it and you blew it."

"Then another chance. It might sound cheesy but I don't wanna live my life like you were never a part of it. We had a baby. We could've been a family if you just let me."

"But I don't want a family. Not now. I also don't want to have a family with you."

"Well that blows." Puck said casually.

"You are such a narcissist."

Puck's face twisted into a puzzled look. "What's that?"

"It means that you're an ass."

"I'm not an ass. I'm a badass."

"That was the best speech I've ever heard. That's that and if you say anything I'll rip your balls off." Quinn said. Puck wasn't sure if she was playing or whatever but he said, "It's kinda cute that you're getting hot and bothered over this. If this means nothing to you then why are you mad?" Puck teased her. Quinn found his cockiness infuriating but also incredibly sexy. Realizing the fact, she tried to think off puppies and Jesus which usually calmed her down. "I'm not mad Puck."

Puck smiled cockily. Puck moved closer. "Really?" He whispered. Feeling his breath on her skin made Quinn shudder. Quinn closed her eyes but instead of thinking of puppies and Jesus she found herself inhaling Puck's scent. It made her think of that night when they did it. The way Puck kissed her, she could just taste his mouth. She opened her eyes again. Puck's nose was at her cheek. Quinn's breath caught in her throat when she tried to speak but it was weak. "Yes." She could feel Puck smiling. He kissed her neck and she shuddered. He continued kissing her neck, feeling her heart skipping beats every three seconds. His lips moved up to her jaw and before he could kiss her she grabbed him by the shirt and pushed forward. "Puck. Stop."

"I was just getting started babe."

"Stop it Puck. I'll literally kick your ass and if you say anything else I'll make sure that bucket stays on your head for the rest of your pathetic, Lima loser life." Venom reached her words. Puck backed off a little. "Hey, I know you like it Fabray. Don't deny it. Just let it take over." He whispered in her ear.

This time she shoved him hard but he only took a few bumbling steps back. "You just won't shut up Puckerman."

"Listen Fabray, I've been in a weird place all summer and it's all thanks to you. I might walk around like everything's okay but it's not. I walk around thinking what's missing. And what's missing is you. It sucks. Don't you get it that I'm willing you to risk this for you? You know, sexting with Santana and all that crap."

"And you'll still go back."

"Please Quinn, it's killing me right now."

"No Puck, and a thousand times no.I've got to learn to be independent and you do to. Maybe…maybe when I'm ready and when if we're both still single, then I'll be with you."

"How will I know if you're ready?" Puck asked.

"I'll kiss you on the lips." Quinn assured him.

Puck smiled and Quinn kissed him on the cheek and then walked out, leaving Puck inside the dark, dingy janitor's closet.


	3. Duets Take Two

"I really think we should do the duet assignment together. As friends." Puck said, feeling the nervousness in him swell uncomfortably. It's been a few weeks since he called Quinn. The last time was to check on her if she got home safe the day she left his house. It was almost nine and the other end of the line wasn't picking up but when he was about to hang up she picked up. Puck had his head against the wall for the last two minutes when he finally asked her about the duet assignment.

It took her about thirty seconds to answer. "What song did you have in mind?" She said slowly. Quinn was pretty skeptical about the whole idea. A side of her thought that Puck asked her about that just to get into her pants again. But the other side thought was just because he wanted to spend some time with her. Both were debatable ideas but in the end she finally went to the positive side instead. She hoped that the whole pregnant thing would knock some sense into him if he attempted at the whole getting into her pants thing. Plus, she didn't have a duet partner. There were three options, Kurt, the big mouthed new kid and Puck. But Kurt already had dibs on the big mouthed new kid and plus it'd be simply social suicide so that knocked them both out of the water. Puck on the other hand had no duet partner. He was a really good singer which surprised her and the glee club and they were friends now. So it was a viable agreement.

"Terrified." Puck said simply.

"Is that a band or am I supposed to be terrified into being your duet partner?" She asked, pacing her room.

"It's a song. By Katherine McPhee and Zachary Levi. Don't worry, the song doesn't have 'fuck' and 'shit' in every verse. I think it's pretty badass." He said with an amused smile.

"Who's Zachary Levi?"

"Chuck."

"Who?"

"He's the guy who plays Chuck on the show called Chuck."

"Oh. Okay."

"So…is it cool? The song I mean."

"I'll look it up in a few minutes." Quinn said, biting her bottom lip.

"Okay. Practice. Tomorrow. After school. Auditorium. Or the choir room. Whichever's fine with you."

It kinda surprised her that Puck called the shots. She was usually the one who did. "Auditorium. It has better acoustics."

"Practice. Tomorrow. After school. Auditorium. Got it."

"See you there."

"Yeah, okay. Bye." And with that they both hung up the phone. Quinn sat down in front of her computer and went to Youtube. She searched the song and upon hearing it, she was pleasantly surprised by Puck's song choice. It was in her range, there wasn't any incessant screaming. It was cute and plus she found the lyrical content relatable to her life. But she knew the answer. _I'm not in love. I'm not in love. I'm not in love._ She thought to herself over and over again and at first she started to believe it but she knew in her heart it wasn't true.

The bright lights of the auditorium filled the stage. Quinn was surprised that she was excited about going here. She passed through the aisles and went to the spotlight in the middle of the stage. She looked at the empty seats and imagined that people were there, cheering her and congratulating her for surviving a difficult teen pregnancy. Not that it happened to her every year. When she was pregnant, she felt set up. Like she was on that show, Teen Mom. She was so focused on herself and her baby that she forgot about everyone else. The stillness in the air felt stiff against her back and she called out to the empty seats, "Puck?"

"Puck, where the hell are you?" She hissed.

There was a guitar plucking sound coming from backstage. She squinted to see a figure emerging from behind her, hiding from the bright lights of the stage. It was Puck, plucking the guitar strings skillfully. He was moving toward her with a sleepy smile. He looked like he hasn't sleep for days but that didn't mean he still wasn't gorgeous.

"You're supposed to sing." He said simply, halfway toward her.

"Why?"

"It's called practice isn't it?" Puck said, still plucking without even looking at his guitar. They sang with indefinite passion. Their voices sounded like they were made for each other.

You, by the light

Is the greatest find

In a world full of wrong

You're the thing that's right

Finally made it through the lonely

to the other side

You set it again my heart's in motion

Every word feels like a shooting star

I'm at the edge of my emotions

Watching the shadows burning in the dark

And I'm in love

And I'm terrified

For the first time and the last time

in my only life

And this could be good

It's already better than that

And nothing's worse

That knowing you're holding back

I could be all that you need

If you let me try

You set it again, my heart's in motion

Every word feels like a shooting star

I'm at the edge of my emotions

Watching the shadows burning in the dark

And I'm in love

And I'm terrified

For the first time and the last time

In my only

I only said it 'cause I mean it

I only mean it 'cause it's true

So don't you doubt what I've been dreaming

'Cause it fills me up and holds me close whenever I'm without you

You set it again my heart's in motion

Every word feels like a shooting star

I'm at the edge of my emotions

Watching the shadows burning in the dark

And I'm in love

And I'm in terrified

For the first time and the last time

In my only life

Life2x

In my only life

Their bodies were so close to each other, the echo of the song in their ears. By each passing second, their faces were getting closer and closer. Quinn closed her eyes, prepared for what would come next.

"I think we killed it." Puck said. Quinn opened her eyes and saw Puck's face, amused. They both ended up smiling at each other, unable to stop.

Puck's cellphone rang. He rolled his eyes and looked at it, "Shit. I gotta run. I gotta pick up Emma." He said.

"So we're done for the day?"

"Yup. And I personally think you sounded sexy babe. We're gonna kill the competition and totally get that free dinner." Puck gave her a lingering peck on the cheek and walked off. Where Puck's lips touched her skin, the hairs stood up. She could tell she was blushing. _Stop it. It was just a friendly peck. _Quinn shrugged the feeling off and proceeded out the auditorium with a frown even if it was hard to contain it. On the way to her car, Rachel walked with her. "Hi Quinn!" The overly-chipper tone caught her off guard. She rolled her eyes and said coldly, "What do you want?"

"You're doing the duets assignment with Puckerman?"

"Yes. Why?" The ice in her voice sounded unnatural to her because she was such in a good mood.

Rachel fiddled with the sleeve of her shirt, "Well…you care about the glee club right?"

"Are we talking about the people in it?"

Rachel shrugged off the comment. "I…well, singing with Puckerman is going deteriorate your new reputation in the glee club."

"It's called singing Berry, not sex. I think you've confused the two of them since singing with Finn has given you a baby bump and the baby hormones have made you delusional. I would know." Quinn stopped and went to her locker and fished out her car keys.

Rachel looked pretty worried. Her tone became more intense. "Puckerman's reputation is just…it rivals with yours. His reputation is the bad boy of McKinley and goes against sweet, pure Quinn Fabray. I think people would definitely still think you're a slut since you had a baby with him and all and seeing you singing with him…people are going to think you two are hooking up again."

"We're just friends."

"You know how people are here. They'll think differently. But Sam on the other hand…"

"Who?" Quinn asked, crossing her arms.

"The new kid."

"Isn't he with Kurt?"

Rachel shook her head, "No, no. He's…he's actually available. He's not willing to sing with Kurt because if he does his reputation will go down but if you're willing to sing with him your will reputation will go up and his will too. It'll also boost club morale. It's a win-win." When Rachel usually presented help there was something in it for her. "What's in it for you? Usually when you try to help someone it sort of becomes some sort of advantage to you." Rachel's expression turned into some sort of 'insane competition' look. "To bring the competition up a notch. Since no one can rival our chemistry, song choice and virtually everything creative and intellectual in musical standards, as team captain of the glee club I felt that it was my duty to help my dear fellow glee club members. And this is one of them."

Quinn rolled her eyes. It was exhausting to look at Rachel. "Just look at it this way, Sam equals pure, pretty Quinn and Breadstix while Puck equals Quinn as a low standard girl with no free dinner at Breadstix."

"I'll think about it Berry."

Quinn did think about Rachel's proposal. It was typical of her to be brown-nosing her way into winning the free dinner at Breadstix but she was right in a way. Sam was already risking his social stature by singing with Kurt and she was risking hers by singing with Puck but if she sings with Sam it boosts their chances of going to Breadstix and boosting her and his reputation. But a bitter thought crossed her mind, Puck. He would have to sing with Kurt. And she already hurt him enough. But she thought, _Is this worth it? _The answer was pretty much clear in her head.

The next day, while Puck was taking out his books someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and saw Quinn. His whole face lit up, "Hey. What's up?" Quinn was biting her bottom lip a whole lot.

"I can't go through with the duet competition."

His face instantly fell. "What? Why? Is it the song? Do we need more choreography? Wait, do you want choreography?"

"No. The song is amazing Puck. It's just that…people are going to think we're hooking up."

"I thought I made it pretty clear that we'd do this as friends."

"I know but you know how these people think Puck."

"So…you don't want to do the duet thing with me?Who are you going to do the duet thing with?"

"Sam."

"Who?"

"The new kid. Look, be a team player Puck. It'll be good for you."

Puck scratched his head, feeling like he's just been betrayed. He threw a weak smile, feeling like crap inside. "I'm really sorry Puck."

"I've heard that line before. Whatever. Look I want you to be happy . You know that right? So go do what you do but don't expect me to act like you didn't replace me with jaws over there." Puck didn't want to look in her eyes. "And if anyone asks why you're not partners with me just say that we never were." Puck added and with that Puck slammed his locker door shut and left Quinn standing in the middle of the hall, staring after him. He felt like his heart weighed a thousand pounds and then being clenched with a fist repeatedly. Puck never felt so horrible in his life. All through school, when Puck saw Quinn, he didn't dare look at her or even attempt to talk to her. When he talked to someone he was deep in thought. He didn't attempt to get a duet partner.

By Friday at the choir room, Puck was still partner-less and the air in the choir room was all lovey-dovey and coupley like. Puck stole a glance at Quinn who was sitting next to Sam. Sam was staring at her and Quinn deep in thought. Sam had a small bruise on the cheek from when Puck punched him when he heard the rumors were true when Sam tried to kiss Quinn. Over the past few days Quinn had been calling Puck, texting him long apologies which he deleted without even looking at one word and she had been posting little Post-its inside his locker saying stuff like 'I'm sorry', which he had to admit was kind of cute. But the fact still remained. Puck was bitter to the core. Mr. Schue had a smile plastered on his face when he came in late as usual.

Mike and Tina did "Sing!", Santana and Mercedes did "River Deep - Mountain High", Finn and Rachel did "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", Brittany and Artie didn't sing anything and neither did Puck and Kurt so it was Sam and Quinn's turn. Puck's stomach tightened.

Throughout the song Puck tried his best to stop himself from beating the shit out of Sam and storm off. His hands clung to the sides of his seat and he squeezed hard. He could tell that both of them were liking it. But he wasn't, not one bit. He bit his tongue to try to keep himself from shouting but that was what he felt like doing. To see someone you love with someone else and you were forced to watch them was the most horrible feeling he had ever encountered. Out of nowhere, Mike tapped his shoulder, "Dude? You okay?"

"I'm fine." Puck said, he could taste the bitterness in his voice. "You kinda looks like you're constipated."

"I'm fine dude."

When Sam's hand curled around Quinn's by the end of the song Puck was on the edge. The song hung in the air but in his ears it felt like nails scraping against a chalkboard. Quinn was smiling but when she caught Puck's eye she blushed and her eyes dropped to the floor and so did her face and her hand. Everybody applauded except for Puck. It was time to vote and Puck had trouble on who to vote on. And Puck quickly sent a text to Quinn.

He quickly scrawled on_ Quinn and new kid. _

"Okay, so I sorted out the votes. Kurt refused to vote and the winner is…by one vote…Sam and Quinn congratulations!" Mr. Schue said proudly.

Sam and Quinn was greeted by an uninterested crowd. When the bell rang, everyone piled out of the room Puck and Quinn stayed behind. "I thought you weren't talking to me again." Quinn said, sitting on the piano stool. "Well, you know…I've had trouble with that." Puck said, feeling his face pull up into a small smile.

"So…what?"

"I just wanted to say congratulations on the duets thing."

"Thanks."

"And…I hope you two have a good time tonight with…Sam. Plus, tell him I'm sorry about the bruise." Puck sat next to Quinn.

"I'll make sure he gets the message."

"You should be thanking me." Puck added. "I already did."

Puck smiled, "Not about the duets thing although it's part of that. I just wanted to say…that I voted for you and Sam."

"Why?"

"Because I knew it'd make you happy. Plus you freaking love Breadstix."

"Puck, that's so sweet. I'm sorry that I didn't go through with the whole duets thing with you."

"Whatever."

"Does that mean we're cool now?"

"Barely. Just because I voted for you doesn't mean we're cool. Voting means that…that I still care about you. What you did to me was…completely unexpected and totally out of line. We rehearsed and I put a lot of effort and for you to just blow me off at the last minute…it kinda feels like you just used me. I don't know what your reason was behind all of that but I don't wanna know."

"Puck it's fine that you _were _mad at me for that but for you to be still mad at me…what's the deal?"

"I've never felt so bad in my entire life. You don't know how bad it felt for me. It felt like my heart was left out on the street and be crushed by a moving truck. Now I don't know if you've ever felt like that but it did for me. I don't expect you to understand…so don't. What you did to me wasn't unforgivable but it's bordering on that. I don't want to say anything else to ruin your date with Sam so I'll leave." Puck stood up and grabbed his things and left Quinn in the choir room. Quinn stared at the door, not knowing what to do. She felt…dumped. Her mind raced. Quinn promised herself that she wouldn't bring herself to show weakness, even the littlest of flinches was frowned upon but she let the tears well up and stream down her cheeks. She hastily wiped them away but they kept coming back. As soon as the tears stopped her heart didn't feel like its normal self. It was just how he described the feeling. And never in her life had she ever felt like this.

That made two of them.


	4. Never Been Dissed

Puck slumped down on the bleachers, feeling restless. The heavy pads on his shoulders weighed a thousand pounds more than they usually did. Like Coach Beiste made them with thick metal plates instead of plastic or whatever the pads were made of. For everyday for the past few months, he felt miserable. Miserable to the core. Yes, it was still true that he still harbored feelings for Quinn and the fact that she was with Sam made him want to punch somebody and sitting there and listening to some heartbroken song on the radio. He didn't like the fact that after all they had been through, he would always come second. First was Finn and then with Sam. For a few days he thought that she was just a distraction in his life, an infatuation just because she carried his baby but no, it made him a better man. And now he just thought that Quinn would never truly care for him, no matter how hard he tried to show how much he cared for her.

Puck stared at the grass for a few seconds when Artie wheeled over to him. Artie and Puck had formed a sort of friendship. They both seemed cool with it even to the public eye. Artie had a small grin on his face though he was sweating and had few bits of grass stuck in his hair. He still was a bit nerdy but Puck grew to like him. "Yo."

Puck managed a small wave.

"You okay dude? You look pretty messed up." Artie admitted, staring at Brittany across the field who was doing some sort of somersault. "I'm fine." Puck said. It had been his usual line when people asked him why he looked…not like his usual self. Puck felt horrible inside and out. "You sure?" Artie asked again. Puck nodded, trying not to follow Artie's gaze who were fixed at the Cheerios. But Puck looked anyway and without even scanning the whole crowd of Cheerios who were done with their routine his eyes landed on Quinn Fabray. The only girl who made him feel invincible and like crap at the same time. Her face was tired and weary. She was looking down and her eyes went across the field and landed on Puck and for a second her face lit up but immediately turned down. Puck felt his heart bounce and his stomach do "Hammer Time" at the same time.

Then two arms hugged her from behind. At first, Quinn seemed mad but then her face split into a grin when she knew who it was. Sam.

Quinn wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Puck's chest felt like bursting. "Yo, dude. You look really…sick." The truth was, Puck did feel sick. Even though he didn't like what he saw - in fact he hated what he saw he couldn't take his eyes off Quinn. Seeing her happy, it was priceless. Artie followed his gaze. For a moment, Artie looked confused but now he realized why Puck was so messed up. "Man…hurt doesn't it? I know the feeling dude." Artie said.

Puck kind of liked Sam in a bro kind of way. He taught him how to speak a few sentences in Na'vi, do a pretty good impression of Peter Griffin, lend him money for lunch and helping him with glee club assignments. He had to admit he was pretty cool but he was a douche. Just because he was the new glee stud doesn't mean he was good enough for Quinn. He was dorky too. He talked about Avatar more than he talked about girls, sex or food. And he had the most beautiful girl in campus under his arm and all he does is walk around with her, sit by her and being all cuddly, exchange a few words and that was it and Quinn seemed pretty content with it. But Puck knew it wasn't right to judge. He didn't know the true nature of their relationship. Inside school was just fair talking but outside it was hot make-out sessions and Breadstix after.

He wasn't mad anymore at Quinn, now he was just plain missing her. He missed everything about her, her smile, the way she smelled, the look in her eyes when she listened to her favorite songs on her iPod, her hazel eyes. He _was_ mad at her for feeling like she just used him for her own personal gain and the days that followed since the duets competition felt like an endless train of silence. He didn't want to admit he was sorry to Quinn. He couldn't exactly express the words right but singing did helped it and there was only one song that he could really feel that fully expressed that.

In the choir room, Rachel and Finn, Mike and Tina and practically every couple in glee club were showing off their love by sitting next to each other and cuddling and stuff. Puck could practically smell the love if love ever had a scent. He stared wearily at Sam and Quinn. They were holding hands and he was craving the feeling of Quinn's hand intertwined with his. Mr. Schue came in late as usual. "Sorry I'm late but I had this…" Mr. Schue shook his head and scribbled on the whiteboard. It said _distance. _

_"_Distance. What comes into your mind when you hear this word?" Brittany's hand shot up. Mr. Schue looked at Brittany but quickly shook his head.

"It's what Coach Beiste says when I look at her boobs. And she catches me looking at them."

Mr. Schue breathed in. "Anyone else?" Mr. Schue looked around. Nobody was in the mood. "Now, distance is…how someone feels when they're far away from each other and what drives great artists to write songs that are usually about missing someone or something because they feel detached. They feel incomplete and they write songs that they just want to be there and not where they are. There are plenty of songs to choose from and your assignment this week is to sing a song about missing some or something because of distance."

"I've got a song Mr. Schue." Puck said. Mr. Schue smiled a little, "Well…great. Let's see what you got." Mr. Schue sat next to Mercedes and Puck grabbed a guitar and went to the center of the room. "This song is for someone I really miss. And…I hope she gets that message." Puck started plucking the strings expertly and sang. When he sang, Quinn could feel the pain in his voice. She knew who the song was about. It was about her. When they made eye contact, for a moment, she forgot that she was with Sam. Part of her wanted to reach out to Puck and hug him.

This time, this place, misused, mistakes

too long, too late

who was I to make you wait

just one chance, just one breath

just in case there's just one left

'cause you know, you know, you know

I love you

That I loved you all along

and I miss you

been far away for far too long

I keep dreaming, you'll be with and you never know

stop breathing if I don't see you anymore

On my knees, I'll ask

last chance for one last dance

'cause with you, I'd withstand

all of hell to hold your hand

I'd give it all, I'd give for us

give everything but I won't give up

'cause you know, you know, you know

I love you

That I loved you all along

and I miss you

been far away for far too long

I keep dreaming, you'll be with and you never know

stop breathing if I don't see you anymore

but you know, you know, you know

That I wanted, I wanted you to stay

'cause I need it

I need to hear you say

I love you

I loved you all along

and I forgive you

been away for far too long

so keep breathing 'cause I'm not leaving you anymore

believe it, hold on to me and never let me go

keep breathing 'cause I'm not leaving you anymore

believe it, hold on to me and never let me go

hold on to me and never let me go 2x

Everyone gave him a round of applause. Sam gave her an incredulous look. Puck smiled a little but when Sam shot him a dirty look, he immediately looked away. Sam looked at her and whispered, "What was that all about?" Quinn shook her head slightly as if she was dismissing something. "Nothing. He was just singing a song, wasn't he?" She said, innocently enough. Sam still didn't look convinced. Puck saw he was whispering indignantly to Quinn. Mr. Schue then nodded approvingly to Puck and said to the group, "Now that's what I'm talking about. Now, who else wants to volunteer?"

And at that exact moment, Santana raised her hand and Mr. Schue nodded in her direction. Santana got up walked to the center of the room. "I guess this song is about someone in a long distance relationship or some shit like that. But since there's a word with distance in it I thought I should sing this one." She sang Bruno Mars' song "Long Distance". The glee club applauded her but Rachel's mouth was the first to run. "I applaud your trying approach to this song Santana but it lacks serious emotional depth." Rachel had this annoying habit of criticizing someone after their performance. Mr. Schue frowned and Santana said, "I'm so close to sticking my fist in your mouth Berry. But not even that will stop you from running your damn mouth at everybody. If you can do so much better - " Santana was cut off by Finn. "Hey, that's enough."

"Oh look dwarf…your giant woodland slave driver just stood up for you." Santana glared at Finn.

"Okay…that's enough. Rachel, we talked about this." Mr. Schue warned the both of them.

"Mr. Schue, I was just pointing out the flaws in her performance so she can improve." Rachel said.

"Rachel." Mr. Schue warned. Then the bell rang.

"What was that all about?" Sam said, leaning against Quinn's car. He was sort of pissed and Quinn exactly knew the reason why and admitting it was probably a big mistake. It would cause more drama in glee club which she's had enough about. Puck sang that song about her. Sam wasn't crazy jealous, just a little possessive which she found sort of annoying but also a little cute. She just shrugged. "What?"

"That thing in glee club."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know, Puckerman and that song and that look you gave him. Is there something going between you two?"

"No. Why would you think that?" Quinn said, feeling a wave of nausea strike her. She didn't want to go through this whole "possessive" talk with Sam again. Last week, he got a bit possessive because Karofsky was flirting with her. The week before that it was because she was having a friendly chat with her neighbor Jesse who was going away to college. "The song was pretty suggestive, don't you think?"

"It was just a song Sam. And I don't think the song he sang was about me. Seriously."

"It looks like something to me."

"To you it does. To me it was just a friend giving him encouragement. "

"So what? You're cool with him now?"

"I guess so. Look, if you're being cavalier about this then sing about it in glee club. You don't have to take it on our relationship."

"Huh. That's probably a good idea and I know just the song to make him explode." Sam said, his expression was hard to read. Quinn didn't like the thought of Sam doing anything deliberately to hurt someone. She especially didn't like the thought that Puck was the target. Even though her relationship with Puck has ended that didn't mean she didn't like Puck getting hurt in any which way. But she couldn't bring herself to tell Sam that, 'cause that would only lead to more glee club drama. Her insides quaked with fear for Puck and guilt but she just smiled.

That night, Puck was listening to a Kings Of Leon song. He had been staring at his phone for the past hour and he had the urge to call Quinn. It was literally driving him nuts. Frustrated, he picked his phone up and dialed her number. On the second ring, she picked up.

"Puck. Hey."

"Hey. Um, what did you think about my song in glee club?" He wanted to slap himself.

"It was…it was beautiful."

"You knew it was about you right?"

"Yes. I do know." A silence passed between them.

"I just want you to know that I forgive you. And I'm sorry for all the shit I put you through."

"Yeah."

"You're still dating Sam." Puck said tonelessly.

"Huh. Yeah, I am. I'm sorry too, that I made you feel used. I shouldn't've blown you off at the last minute. It was wrong."

"I know. Um, listen, do you have any plans on Saturday?"

"No. Why?"

Puck sighed, gathering all the courage he could. "I…you wanna hang out?"

"Puck, I'm dating Sam."

"No. Like, we could just…just walk around and talk about stuff. Maybe go to the Lima Bean after. You know, as friends. I'm not going to kiss you or anything except if you ask but other than that…we could just…talk."

"What's wrong with talking now?"

"It'd be really nice to see you in person. Not in school. Just…us. Just for a little while. Don't worry, it's not cheating. It's only cheating if _you _flirt with me."

Quinn bit her bottom lip again. She didn't want to turn down Puck. Besides, it's not cheating right? Hanging out with someone else isn't cheating, she thought.

Without a second thought she said, "Yeah. Sure. I'd like that."

In the choir room, Sam and Quinn were sitting together as always. During the days that led up to Friday, Sam had his hand draped over Quinn's shoulder and practically getting really overprotective and possessive. But Quinn was sort of in a good mood, maybe it was because Puck had asked her to hang out with him. Sam and her were holding hands still in glee club and it was sort of PDA - ish but this was her boyfriend. Mr. Schue came in late - again. "So…let's cut to the chase. Who wants to go first?" Sam raised his hand and Mr. Schue told him to take the spotlight.

"This is for my girlfriend Quinn. And…I want to say…you mean the world to me." Puck felt his hands close into fists and his jaw tighten. All his muscles locked into place.

I always knew you were the best, the coolest girl I know

So prettier than all the rest, the star of my show

So many times I wish, you'd be the one for me

but never knew it'd get like this girl

what you do to me

You're who I'm thinking of

Girl, you ain't my runner up

and no matter what you're always number one

my prize possession, one and only

adore you girl, I want you

the one I can't live without

that's you, that's you

your my special little lady

the one that makes me crazy

of all the girls I've ever know

It's you, it's you

My favorite 3x

my favorite girl2x

(The song is Favorite Girl by Justin Bieber so just look up the lyrics)

Sam glanced at Puck, who was seething mad. After the song Sam kissed Quinn on the cheek. Puck wanted to pounce on him and punch him in the gut. He turned to Puck and said, "You just got served."

It happened all in a blur. Puck jumped up and tried to punch Sam but Finn, Mike and Mr. Schuester held him back. "Puck! Puck!" Everyone kept shouting. But Puck fought until he ran out of energy. "Hey! Calm down!" Mr. Schue screamed once he was putting Puck back on his chair. Puck was still fuming. His face was red and he was slightly sweating. Puck couldn't hear what everybody was saying. He was trying to make sense of everything else. He wasn't the crazy jealous type but he was jealous. He was sure as hell hoping Quinn wouldn't blow him off either.

Puck sent a text to her when the bell rang.

_R we still on? _

It seemed like hours until she texted back. _We definitely are. _


	5. A Typical Night With Puck

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Glee. Or anything Glee related. _

**Author's Note: **_This is in Quinn's POV. _

Just so you know my life isn't going on a downward spiral. No, it's not going anywhere near that. At this point my life is about…actually, I don't know what my life is about. Is it about my reputation in McKinley? No, got over that. Is it about making the right choices and being the best you can be? No effing way because I am already the best there is. Is it about…actually, I can't think of anything else because my life is already perfect. Being the popular girl, having a totally cute boyfriend, head cheerleader, being prettier than all the girls put together, I mean, what can a girl possibly want? My life used to suck. I was chubby, ugly, pimply, people teased me…I dressed sort of like Rachel, only better. But I looked at myself in the mirror and pulled myself up and made a change for the better. And it worked. Now my life is just perfect. I was pretty, smart, popular and president of the Celibacy club. Boys would drool and girls would cringe in my presence when I would walk right down that hall. But all that changed when I was at my sophomore year. Because of one guy. Puck. He got me pregnant. Yes, I'll admit that he's gorgeous. More gorgeous than any guy I've ever seen in my life but he was a man-slut. He got into every girl's pants that he's ever been with and none of them ever got pregnant. Well, that is, except for me.

I expected him to walk out and say that I was on my own and that's why I lied that it was Finn's baby. I've always had a phobia for being unwanted and alone but that's not the point. The point was that Puck was being supportive and caring. It was like there was a whole other side of Puck that I didn't even know existed. But he still was a man-slut. And then during Regionals I gave birth to Beth. Beth was precious to me but this wasn't the right time to have a baby since I'm starting my junior year. When I was looking at her, Puck was with me the whole time. I was still kind of tired from the post-Beth, but all through the difficult nine months I always wondered if he ever felt something for me.

_Did you love me? _

_Yes. Especially now. _

I was…pleasantly surprised that I felt the same way. But no. It won't happen between us and that was why I cut off our relationship and put the past behind us. To make a long story short, I dated Sam and now I'm hanging out with Puck. Just as friends in the Lima Bean or whatever the hell he's got planned.

_You're the best thing I never knew I needed_

_So when you were here, I had no idea _

_You're the best thing I never knew I needed_

_So now it's so clear, I need you here always _

_Yeah, sing it Ne-yo. _I thought, on my way to Lima Bean. I saw Puck's black Chevy Suburban in the parking lot. There were only six other cars there but I managed to wedge my silver Toyota Corolla Altis between two ancient Dodge Colts. "You're just friends and you're only going to hang out." I told myself over and over again. But my heart kept thumping loudly against my ribs. I took a deep breath and jumped out the car. I inhaled the cool night air which smelled of honeysuckle and the slight hint of coffee. When I pushed the door to the Lima Bean it smelled pleasantly of express and vanilla. The Lima Bean wasn't full but only slightly. It was mostly just college kids and their dates. It was easy to spot Puck, mostly because of his Mohawk. I walked toward him, feeling my footsteps getting heavier. It was like I was wearing military boots instead of my black ballet flats. Puck was wearing a grey thermal and a slightly faded forest green jacket. He looked bored and when he saw me his face lit up.

I sat across from him. "Hey." I said with a smile.

"Hey. What can I get you?"

Normally, I don't drink coffee nor will I ever do. It gives you bad breath and stains your teeth. "I don't drink coffee."

He smiled. "Well so do I."

"So why are we here?"

"It's gonna get cold where were going." Puck said and added, "So hot chocolate?"

I nodded. He stood up and went to the two meter Lima Bean line. I quickly reapplied my mango lip gloss and started smelling my armpits. I did that mandatory girl thing when they're on dates. They check their appearances, they check their eyes if they have eye gunk, that sort of thing but I wasn't on a date. We were just hanging out. Puck was back and he presented my hot chocolate. He cocked his head, signaling me to stand up. He gently ushered me outside. The hot chocolate was hot in my hands but with the cold night air, it didn't matter. I was about to approach my car when he said, "We're taking my car."

"Why? What's wrong with mine?"

He shrugged. "It has bad tunes." I smiled and we got inside his car. I smelled slightly of him and Febreze. He got off the parking lot and down the road. He turned on the radio and Elton John's "Your Song" came on. Puck was humming to the song. "Elton John?" I asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I didn't think you liked that kind of music." I said, the taste of chocolate at the back of my throat.

He snorted. "I do. It's kind of…calming you know." He said in a matter-of-factly tone.

"Calming. Yeah. Like in glee club."

"Look, he just pissed me off okay?"

"Yup. And you tried to strangle him."

"Did I? I didn't notice." Puck said sarcastically.

"Where are we going anyway?"

"I told you, it's a surprise."

"Just tell me."

"No." He firmly said. He turned his car to a slightly muddy path. The path was lined with trees and bushes. I've never been to this part of town before. It seemed creepy in that oddly beautiful way. I imagined myself, if being stuck here, lost. I'd scream and nobody would hear. Some stalker probably lived here and killed a bunch of people and they'd scream and nobody would hear them. The police would never find their bodies and their families would go off thinking that they're missing. And then a horrible thought crossed my mind. "Are you going to rape me?" My voice was terrified as I felt. Puck laughed. "What? Where'd you get that idea?"

"Does creepy serial killer woods strike something to you?"

"When you say it like that, yeah. But trust me, I won't rape you. That's just stupid."

Then the forest opened up to clearing. There was a small lake and a huge willow tree just feet from where Puck parked the car. I looked up and my eyes were transfixed up at the sky. The sky was midnight black and the stars were gleaming against it so perfectly. A slow breeze blew through me and I could smell the lake. The lake was crystal clear and perfectly mirrored the sky. It was beautiful. The willow tree looked like it was crying because of the beauty of the whole scenery. My life in Lima and I've never known this place. I needed to get more. Puck's warm hand curled around mine. He led me under the willow treed and he placed his jacket on the ground and sat on it. He stared at the stars through the branches of the willow tree. He looked just as hypnotized as I was a while ago.

Still looking up he said, "Do think about her?"

"Who?" I was assuming it was an ex-girlfriend.

"Beth."

My heart pounded harder this time. The truth was I never even thought about her. There was just so much going on in my life. Beth was with Shelby now and living a fabulous new life in New York. I never even looked them up on Facebook and sent a friend request just to see how they were doing. Beth _was _and _is _my biological daughter after all.

"The truth is…no. There's just so much going on in my life right now that…it's just been a crazy time."

"It's always been crazy."

"Everything just…everything just happens so…fast." I leaned into him.

"You know what happened so fast? Us. But even if we're not together now and everyone's got their own crap going on…everything's happening so fast, I think it just pays to slow down once in a while."

I smiled, his philosophy was so underrated. It wasn't exactly Deepak Chopra material, that's for sure but that didn't mean it wasn't good. "Guess I haven't been doing that in a while. Or ever."

"That's why I took you to this place. It's a place to think. Whenever I feel messed up I come here and just think things over. Sometimes I bring my guitar, jam a little bit and write some songs."

"Wait, you write songs?"

He shrugged. "Yeah…more like working progresses." He said slowly.

I put my cheek to his chest. I felt the warmth through his body. I inhaled slowly and I was faced with his familiar scent. I've always found him to smell good. But I've always wondered if he wore cologne or something. Maybe it was kind of offensive that I would ask him something like that, but I couldn't help it. "Do you wear cologne?"

"Nah. I don't put that stuff on. Why?" He didn't seem offended. I could feel his lips on my hair.

"You just smell good. Like, all the time." I admitted. I could sense Puck was smiling. I kinda missed being with Puck. Just talking about stuff. It was easy talking to him. It felt as if there was a weight on my heart and Puck was the only one who could lift it by just talking to him. It wasn't like talking with Sam. Actually, he did most of the talking. He talked about Avatar, he talked in Na'vi, he did impressions (I didn't mind the impressions because they were good) and a bunch of other stuff that were exhausting to hear.

"You know, I kinda like this. Just me and you. No one else." I said softly.

"Really?" He said, looking into my eyes. My heart hammered against my chest. My insides felt like it was melting, like it always did when he was looking at me.

"Yeah." I breathed. I wasn't breathing normally. It wasn't like I had asthma or anything. We both leaned in closer. I could feel the heat coming off him. Our foreheads touched and our lips just inches apart. I closed my eyes, prepared for what would come next. But it didn't come. I put my hand behind his neck and pulled him closer but he pulled away seconds before our lips would touch.

"Kiss me." I murmured against his lips, waiting for his response. A second ticked by and Puck's lips pressed against mine softly. Puck's hand went around my waist and pulled my body closer to his. I didn't feel guilty about what we were doing. I was lost in the feel of his lips against mine and I couldn't think straight. His mouth tasted just how I remembered it but somehow it sort of tasted like Vanilla Coke. It was passionate alright. No, it was beyond that. It was like something out of a Nicholas Sparks novel. It was real between me and Puck and I couldn't just escape that fact. It was raw and real. For a moment, I forgot who Sam was, or if he saw what I was doing or all that other Sam related stuff because it was just me and Puck. And I loved Puck. Not Sam or Finn. Plus, I didn't really care if he got me pregnant or not because that fact alone was just an opportunity to see how wonderful he really was.

He pulled back and looked soulfully into my eyes and we both smiled. "I love you Puck. I always have."

"Well it took you long enough." Then his expression changed. "What about Sam?"

"Who?"

"Your boyfriend with the lady lips. Maybe your lady male."

"Oh yeah. Him." I said, absent-mindedly.

"So what are you gonna do?"

"I'm just…I'm gonna let him down easy."

I reached for his hand. "Look, that doesn't mean you can start flirting with me openly. I mean, just let me handle everything okay?"

"Yeah. Sure." He said and kissed my cheek.

"Look, when we get back…just act like everything's normal okay?"

"Yeah. Like I said."

I looked up. The stars were still shining brightly. "It's getting late. We should…go."

He picked up his jacket. Puck stood up and helped my up by pulling me by the waist. "C'mon, I wouldn't want your mom to get her panties up in a bunch." Puck said teasingly as we got inside his car. Along the way, we were jamming to Usher's "Trading Places". The road to my house was empty. "Wait, how about my car?"

"Just give me your keys and I'll have it back by midnight." I handed him my keys and all too soon we were at my front door. He walked with me outside to my doorstep. We stood there awkwardly, just like a date would go. "Puck, was this really you wanting to hang out?"

A slow smile spread across his face. "No. Not really." I smiled and I reached out to kiss him. He kissed me back eagerly and then he pulled away. "I should get your car."

"Yeah. You should." We stood there awkwardly for a few more seconds and he said, "So…I guess I should be going."

I nodded and he took two bumbling steps backward. "Yeah…I should…I should get your car so…" Then he almost tripped over a flower pot and he cursed. "Shit! Um…yeah." He said nervously and he hopped into his car and drove away. I was grinning away like an idiot when I got inside. I was literally jumping, like I was buzzed with energy.

Just like how a perfect date should go and how a perfect date would end.

I really appreciate the reviews even if they are only seven but they were great nonetheless. I have to admit it wasn't my best work but i'll try harder. Hope you enjoyed =))


	6. Broken

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Glee. Or anything Glee related. _

**Author's Note: **_This is in Quinn's POV. _

"Is it true that you're rekindling your relationship with Puck? Your former baby daddy?" That Jew-fro kid was annoying as hell. His camera was totally nosing me up but all the same heat reached up to my cheeks but I totally brushed it off. It was really awkward 'cause Sam was right next to me. His expression was like, "Huh?"

"No." I lied.

"But my sources have confirmed that you two went to Lima Bean last Friday and hooked up in his car."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Now shut the hell up." I said, grabbing his shirt and shoving him out to the halls. Jew-Fro frowned and walked away, filming some other stuff and interviewing some other people. Sam looked unsure. I continued to act like nothing happened. Sam shrugged the feeling off.

"So what're we gonna wear to the Halloween Dance this Friday?" I slammed my locker door shut and faced him. "I don't know. What are you going to be going as?" I said, pretending to be interested. The Halloween Dance was well a halloween themed prom but you get to wear anything just as long it was a costume. There was a Scream Queen and Scream King but no one wanted to be that because people usually voted for someone ugly and repulsive at the school and at the end the jocks would hurl slushies at their faces. It was really lame. Nobody really went but when I was a freshman here Principal Figgins made it mandatory that everyone would go. Plus it was an excuse for all the slutty girls in school to dress in very racy outfits. Last year Santana went as Catwoman and Brittany as Wonder Woman. I heard Santana once said that she wanted to use Wonder Woman's rope/whip and use it to wrap it into a yarn with her and Brittany inside it. But Sam seemed psyched about it. "I'm thinking…Jason…or maybe a Na'vi." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Last year Finn went as Frankenstein and me as his bride. A ginger named Francine won the title as Scream Queen because she looked like Medusa with her crazy red hair, skeleton frame, pale, pasty skin and enormous blue eyes. She transferred to a new school because of it.

"Sounds great." I said, I could hear that I was excited but I didn't feel it. Sam grinned. "So who are you going as?"

"You tell me." I said flirtatiously. Sam leaned against the lockers and pulled me closer. I could smell his cologne from where I was standing. He smelled like some expensive Armani perfume. It was making me dizzy. I touched his cheek with my palm and he thought I was gonna kiss him but I dodged out of the way as soon as he could. "PDA." I whispered. He grinned even more. "Yeah." He muttered to himself and advanced again. It was a near miss. I sort of pushed him back. "Sam, I'm not that kind of girl." It almost sounded as pissed as I was.

Sam looked pretty alarmed. "Sorry." The bell rang and I said, "I gotta get to class." I said and pushed through the crowd. I didn't feel guilty but I did feel bad because I just left him standing there. He looked pretty stunned. When I was out of Sam's view Puck walked alongside me. We were going to the same class. "Hey." He said, holding out his hand so I could give him my books.

"Hey." I replied.

"You going to the dance?" He asked.

"It's mandatory."

"Yeah, I know. So who are you going as?"

"I don't know yet."

"I remember last year. You were Frankenstein's bride. And you still looked hot." He commented with a sly smile. I gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. "And you manned the fruit punch bowl in a butler suit." I added. I remember Puck pouring punch to everyone since it was his punishment when he got caught shaving a freshman's head and Crazy Glued a blonde wig on his head. He looked really miserable. He frowned slightly but his face lit up; thinking at how weird it was. "Yeah, guess I did."

"So who are you going as?"

"I'm going as a freaking Jedi. I'm gonna carry a freaking lightsaber with me if anyone decides to mess with the Puckzilla. Or you."

"Sam's going as Jason."

"Voorhees? He can't pull that off." He said with a snort. "He should go as Jaws."

"That's mean."

"You should go as…like…Grace Kelly." He suggested.

"But she was fat." I emphasized the word FAT.

"Was. But she was like…famous and stuff. Think about it, she was totally hot. But you'll play the hotter version of her."

"Tempting. I don't know, I'll have to think about it."

We stepped inside the chemistry lab and our lab teacher was going on and on about chemistry and the periodic table of elements and stuff. I did start thinking about Puck's suggestion. Grace Kelly one of the most famous actresses of her time. She was blonde, beautiful and talented and so was I. She was like a sophisticated old money girl and I could definitely pull that off. And after that idea I started on famous actors that would totally fit Puck. First, was Brad Pitt. The second was Leonardo DiCaprio circa Titanic and last was James Dean. Puck could pull that look off. I looked over to him and I started fantasizing about Puck in really tight white shirt and jeans. He sensed that I was looking at him and he winked at me. I could feel the heat reaching up my cheeks. I pinched myself to stop from smiling. Eventually, the bell rang and I hurried off to glee club. I sat with Sam with Puck behind us. I could tell he was seething mad but I needed to act like nothing was happening.

"I was thinking Avril Lavigne."

I raised my eyebrow. "What?"

"You could pull that look off. Wear a skirt and…get all crazy with your makeup and with the eyeshadow. Like, you wear gloves and these totally cut goth boots that I saw at the ninety nine cent store the other day. I think those would fit you. And you wear black lipstick and these pink highlights. It's like a Jason and goth girl prenup."

"Okay, first of all, Avril Lavigne is a pop punk princess. She's not goth and second of all, she has raccoon eyes and third, what the hell were you thinking?"

Sam looked pretty shocked. "I thought that…"

"What? You thought what?"

"Nothing."

I rolled my eyes. "Wait, is this what happened a while ago?" Sam said, taking my hand.

"Um…I don't know." I said sarcastically.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Really. About what happened."

"Fine."

"So - " He was cut off when Mr. Schue entered the room. "Good news! Figgins asked us to perform at the Halloween Dance!"

Everyone looked nauseated. Mr. Schue's face was plastered into an enthusiastic smile. He waited for everyone's response to match his. His face slowly melted into a somewhat confused look. "Guys?"

"As psyched as you are Mr. Schue we're not performing at the Halloween Dance." Mercedes said, crossing her arms.

"Why not? The Halloween Dance is fun!"

"The Halloween Dance looks like a some perverted mental child's costumed orgy fantasy." Santana drawled, reverting her eyes to Mr. Schue.

"C'mon guys, it'll be fun. Some of the school board's benefactors will be there and one of them especially is into the performing arts. If they some the glee club alive and well then we get money for our costumes for Regionals." Mr. Schue reasoned. No one still seemed interested. Not even Rachel who had the trauma of being nominated again as the Scream Queen. She was in fact nominated when she was a freshman but didn't win.

"Look Mr. Schue, I appreciate your bravado approach on us performing at the Halloween Dance but it's not going to happen. Usually I'd perform out of all odds but the Halloween Dance is just out of the question. We're still at the bottom of the McKinley High social ladder and performing at a socially degrading school event is just going to ruin us." Rachel said, her tone desperate and pleading.

"They'll throw slushies at us." Arite added. "And October's cold enough dawg and we don't need no slushies to turn us into ice cubes."

Soon everyone in the glee club was shouting protests and Mr. Schue was covering his ears. "Enough! Everyone's doing the Halloween Dance and that's final! Now, when I was in glee club performing at the Halloween Dance was one of the…it was so fun. Everyone had fun and…over the years it's been more of a joke than one of the most celebrated McKinley High traditions. Even if performing means getting slushied everyday, we stand up for the underdogs because that's who we are. We _won_ because we had extraordinary talent and we were underdogs." Everyone in the room seemed practically buzzed. "Now, for the group number, we're gonna have…Santana, Brittany and Mercedes. And we're gonna sing…Disturbia by Rihanna. And each of you is gonna sing a song of your choice. Either with a partner or threesome…it's your choice." I heard Puck snigger at the word threesome.

"So…let's rehearse!" Mr. Schue continued.

The dreaded Halloween Dance finally reached it's peak and the glee club looked pretty hyped. I wasn't going as Avril. No damn way. I've already talked to my personal shopper and she just shipped in a beautiful, elegant champagne colored dress. Sam already sent me the photos of what he was going to look like in his Jason Voorhees costume and I had to admit it was pretty hot. He wasn't allowed to bring a real machete, instead he brought in a hockey stick. Puck didn't talk to me at all but he sent me texts saying he wished this Halloween Dance thing would be over. The glee club number was awesome and the outfits were very Rihanna-esque. Santana, Brittany and I got ready at Brittany's house.

"Pass me the weird hat thing Britts." Santana said, holding out her hand.

Santana was dressed as a sexy candy striper and Brittany as Marilyn Monroe. Santana looked at me and said, "Who're you supposed to be?"

"Grace Kelly."

"Wasn't she fat?" Santana asked.

"She _was. _But she was famous. And beautiful." I said.

Santana rolled her eyes. "She _was._"

It was almost eight when we got to the gym. I had to admit, the gymnasium had been transformed into some sort of creepy dance party place. Like an abandoned mansion in which everybody trashed, put on speakers, bright red walls and several other booths. There were kegs that spewed out Cherry Coke and Coach Sylvester was in a vampire tracksuit outfit and checking the punch and the kegs if they've been spiked. Jay-Z was blasting out the speakers and for a change, it looked actually fun. The dance floor was occupied by the students in their costumes. I even saw some nerd in a sheet and some other nerd wrapped in toilet paper. I saw Puck in a very James Dean-esque outfit. He was leaning against the wall, casually sipping Coke and talking with Finn, Mike and Artie.

Then someone taped me on the shoulder. I turned around and saw a guy in a hockey mask. Sam lifted his mask and he raised his hockey stick and said, "Hey!" then he pulled me in a bear hug. The pearls on my neck bore on my clavicle. "So…what do you think?" He said, turning around and showing off his outfit. "It's great."

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"Grace Kelly."

"Who's that?"

"An Oscar winner." I said, my little inside joke. "Wow." He whistled. "You look really pretty."

"Thanks. And you look like a serial killer." He smiled.

"We're on in about an hour. You wanna dance?" He asked, offering his hand. "Sure."

We headed out on to the dance floor and honestly, it was like dancing with one of my friends. But it was fun, nonetheless. Then Ne-yo's "Genuine Only" came on and I fell in love with that song, just not with the guy who was dancing with me. He was like my little seemingly gay brother. I could tell he was enjoying himself too much. "I'm gonna get some punch." Sam said. The second Sam was gone, Puck showed up. "So you took my Grace Kelly advice." He said, swaying subtly.

"Yeah. I guess I did. And you took my James Dean advice."

"Yeah. Guess I did. But with a lightsaber." He said, holding up a Force FX blue lightsaber. "And you look beautiful."

Beautiful was way better than pretty. I grinned. "Listen, I'm gonna get ready for the performance." He said, lowering his tone so only I could hear. "Will you dance with me later? With the approval of your…male lady friend?"

I split into a laugh. "Yeah. Guess so."

Puck walked off with the other glee kids and Sam came up and handed me a drink. "So who were you talking to earlier?"

"Puck. He just asked me if he wanted to dance later…with your approval."

Sam swallowed but nodded. I grabbed his hand and said, "We need to get ready." We wove through the crowd and got ready backstage. Most of the glee kids were already dressed and ready and doing vocal warm-ups. Kurt did my hair and Brittany did my make-up. I had the pre-show rush and everyone was feeling it too. Five minutes to the performance, Mr. Schue dressed in his usual teacher's outfit came out and greeted us. "Now I know some of you regret performing, but keeping on pushing through. I know you're gonna bring down the house."

"Where's your costume Mr. Schue?" Brittany asked.

"I didn't have time to prepare. But you guys are going to kill it!" Then onstage, we heard Principal Figgins' monotone announced us onstage.

The music throbbed like it wasn't going to end and it was killer, to have that much adrenaline in your veins was impossible. The crowd was seriously hyped.

When the song ended the crowd went crazy. We rushed backstage and I gave Sam a big hug, completely on impulse. He seemed to like it, maybe too much. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Puck frowning but before anyone saw his expression he started shouting "That was freaking awesome!". I changed back into my Grace Kelly costume. Sam, Brittany, Santana and I went to the dance floor to dance again. Most of the New Directions were doing numbers and I wondered if Puck was going to do one. At that time Finn was doing Chris Brown's "Forever" with Rachel. With each passing minute, one by one the New Directions were giving out great performances. Then, as if someone had electrified me I turned my head to the stage and saw a grand piano. Puck was sitting behind there with Santana. I poked Sam on the ribs and said, "Hey. Santana's going to sing."

_Puck: _

_Hello world, hope you're listening_

_Forgive me if I'm young, I'm speaking out in turn _

_But there's someone I've been missing_

_And I think they could be the better half of me_

_They're in the wrong place, trying to make it right_

_But I'm tired of justifying _

_So I say to you_

_come home, come home_

_'Cause I've been waiting for you, for so long, for so long_

_And right now there's a war between the vanities _

_But all I see is you and me _

_And the fight for you is all I've ever known_

_so come home _

_Santana:_

_I get lost in the beauty of everything I see_

_The world ain't half as bad as they paint it to be_

_For the sons, all the daughters, stop to take it in_

_Well hopefully the hate subsides and the love can begin_

_It might start right now, yeah _

_Or maybe I'm just dreaming out loud_

_But until then_

_come home, come home_

_'Cause I've been waiting for you, for so long, so long_

_And right now there's a war between the vanities _

_But all I see is you and me _

_And the fight for you is all I've ever known, ever known_

_so come home _

_Both: _

_Everything I can't be, is everything you should be_

_And that's why I need you here_

_Everything I can't be, is everything you should be_

_And that's why I need you here_

_Both:_

_So hear this now_

_come home, come home_

_'Cause I've been waiting for you, for so long, so long_

_And right now there's a war between the vanities _

_But all I see is you and me _

_And the fight for you is all I've ever known, ever known_

_so come home, come home_

We locked eyes the whole song and it seemed that Santana was singing it to someone even though she didn't have a boyfriend right now. It looked like she was singing to someone next to me but that meant Sam. Or Brittany. A few minutes later, Puck showed up next to Sam while we were dancing. "So what did you guys think about our performance? Did it suck?"

"No. It was awesome man." Sam monotoned. Then Puck said, "May I have this dance?" I looked up at Sam and he nodded and sped away. Then the speakers blasted a slow jam. My heart raced as soon as I put my arms around Puck's neck. "Do you think he'll get jealous?" He whispered in my ear. "Of course he will." I could hear him smirk.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me closer to his face. "My place? Or yours?" He whispered.

I giggled. And I barely even giggle anymore. "That was hot." He said again.

"Listen, after this…like…maybe for future reference. We should hang out again."

"Hang out?"

"Yeah."

"I'd love to."

"Will you and Sam be over by then?"

"Yes. Definitely."

I pulled my face closer to his until he was jerked away. "Hey! That's my girl!" Sam pushed Puck again. "Hey! Stop it man!" Puck said, taking on defensive. Now Sam insisted on picking a fight and I assumed Coach Sylvester was there but after the back and forth of "Shut up!" and "That's my girl you were trying to kiss!" and all that other stuff. Then fists flew and I yelled, "Stop!" It was blur of colors and rage and my voice was lost the sea of bodies which had formed around them. Then Sam picked up his hockey stick and Puck went down. My heart stopped beating and I shouted, even louder, "Stop it!" The noise of silence filled my ears and everything stopped. I could hear nothing but my heavy breathing. Coach Sylvester burst through the doors and grabbed Sam by his jacket. "You! Lady Bieber! Out!"

Puck was on the floor, Finn, Rachel and Mike were kneeling down and asking if he was okay. I ran to him and he was nursing his arm. "Shit. The kid's got aim." He said, throwing a weak smile when he saw me.

"Can you lift up your arm?" Mike asked.

Puck's face twisted into a painful way and he was concentrated on his arm. "Ow. I think it's broken."

"Yeah. Let's get you to a hospital man." Finn said and they lifted Puck up and went through the halls and I was left kneeling with Rachel with me. "C'mon Quinn. Let's go."

I felt like I couldn't breathe. I couldn't believe that Sam would do that. To Puck. To anyone. I felt the blood drain from my body.

Rachel lifted me up and said, "C'mon Quinn. Let's go after them." She handed me a pink handkerchief. "This is to wipe your tears."

Out of all the shock, grief and rage, it was funny. It was funny because out of this worrying about Puck, I hadn't realized I was crying.

Now that I had, I went with Rachel and the rest of the glee club to the hospital where Puck was. My eyes were burning and I knew I looked horrible with my smeared-from-crying-makeup. "Hey Quinn. Stop crying. It's going to be alright." Rachel said.

After awhile she asked, "Why are you crying? Is it about Sam?"

"No. It's about Puck."

"Oh. Were you…are you two dating?"

"No. We would…date…as soon as…I broke up with Sam."

"So why didn't you?"

"He just couldn't take a hint."

"Well, he's going to be alright."

"I know. I just don't know how everybody's going to take it once they know. Sam especially."

"Well, it's not like he'd come here and finish the job."

I laughed bitterly. "Do you care about him?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah. Why else would I be crying? I know that he's going to be alright, it's just…I've…I've never seen him in pain, physically."

"He'll be fine."

When we got to the hospital, we got through the reception area and before I could go to Puck's hospital room, I saw Sam outside. I

stopped in my tracks. He approached me and said, "I think we need to talk."


	7. Our Second Time

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Glee. _

**Author's Note: **_This is in Puck's POV. _

Damn.

My head hurt, my arm hurt and basically my whole body hurt like I was hit by a bus. I felt like I was suspended in this air, held only by the thinnest thread of gravity. My pulse was racing and I felt the hot air through my lungs, burning the blood in my veins. My body felt sluggish and hot. I couldn't move. So this is what Artie's legs feel like. A cool feeling, like the size of a hand, reached up and was now on my chest. Placed right over my heart. It raced but it beat quiet and then it moved to my hand. I felt a silky, delicate touch on my forehead. The darkness went away and I squinted into the blinding light. I couldn't make sense of my surroundings. I couldn't see anyone else there.

"Where am I?" My mouth felt dry.

"You're in the hospital." Quinn's voice said. It felt so good to hear it.

"W-What am I doing here?"

"You…you broke…Sam broke you're arm. With a hockey stick." I turned my head to see Quinn's face. There were faint circles under her eyes and her face was blotchy. She had been crying. Memories rushed into my head and it all made sense. "Yeah. For a second I thought I had amnesia or Alzheimer's." I saw Quinn's hand curled around mine. "Did they stab me with a needle or something?" Quinn shook her head. I looked at the clock hanging above the door. It read 1:33. And then I looked at the cast that was on my right arm.

"How long was I in here?" I saw a lot of movies about guys with head injuries and they wake up from a coma and it's like fifteen years later.

"A few hours."

I reached for the water on the bedside but I couldn't really get my other arm to move. Instead Quinn tipped the glass to my lips and I honestly felt like a toddler. Once I could really talk I said, "Are you still with…Sam?"

"Of course not. Did you think I'd let him get away with it?"

"I guess not."

"You should rest."

"I don't think so. I feel like I've been asleep for like ten hours."

"I think you've confused being knocked out and sleeping."

"I'm pretty sure I was. So how long were you in here?"

"I've been here the longest."

"Does my mom know?"

"Yes. She's coming here once they let visitors in."

"But why…?"

"I'm pretty convincing."

I smiled. "How long until I get out of here?"

"I'm not sure."

I grunted. A jolt of pain ran through my body. "I feel like crap."

Quinn looked beat. "You should go home." I said.

"No. I'm staying here until you get out of here." She leaned in closer and strands of her hair fell on my face. I inhaled her familiar scent of vanilla and roses. Her lips met mine. At first I kissed her back softly but then with more pressure. Quinn's lips tasted so good. I was lost in ecstasy. A loud creak echoed in my ears but we couldn't seem to get enough of our lips in perfect sync with each other. There was a loud cough and we turned to see a nurse. The ugly kind. "Um, it's time for your painkillers Mr. Puckerman. Do you feel numb or do you feel any pain at all?" I smirked. "I'm all better now." The nurse left, her face red. Quinn laughed. It felt good to hear her laugh. Not like the one where you feel like crap inside and just pretending to be all happy and stuff.

"You really need to go home. You look beat." I commented.

"Then who's going to take care of you?"

"Um, I'm in a hospital. I'm pretty sure they could take care of me." I said, lifting my head up. "This kinda sucks. I mean, being stuck here. I don't mind that you're here but it's making me kind of claustrophobic and all." Quinn looked like she was about to say something but then I burped. "Sorry. Did the doctors feed me tacos?" I swear I could taste tacos at the tip of my tongue. Quinn shook her head. "Did I eat tacos at the dance?"

"I don't think they served tacos at the dance." The taco mystery was still kinda confusing. How do you not eat something but still taste it when you burp?

There was a knock on the door and suddenly most of the glee club was inside, carrying boxes of Krispy Kreme and Coke six-packs. Finn, Mike, Rachel, Artie, Tina, Mercedes, Brittany and Santana were all there. They looked pretty sleepy but that didn't stop them from barging in like a herd of retarded rhinos. I didn't really know why Finn was all "What up?" and all home boy with me now since I knocked up his girlfriend, made out with his other girlfriend and her other pregnant girlfriend lied that he was the baby daddy and shit so…I didn't know what was up with that but it whatever. Stuff happens. You know how when there's a couple and they put their names together to make some sort of cute/weird nickname? Like Finchel and Kurtcedes. So when I saw Artie roll behind Finn I just came up with the best nickname yet…Fartie.

"Hey man. How's the arm?" Finn asked.

"It's all good." Then we did a fist bump with my left hand. Mercedes pulled out a Sharpie and said, "I'm so singing ya'll." And she singed the cast and soon everybody was signing it. "Um, I thought you guys weren't allowed to come in here, it's like two o'clock in the morning." I said. "Don't worry 'bout it. The receptionist thought I was a patient." Artie said.

We sort of partied if Krispy Kreme and Coke make a good combination. It was like a high school reunion of a paraplegic, two hot cheerleaders, the black diva, the former high school quarterback, the dancing Asian dude, the singing Asian goth girl, whatever Rachel is, the former head cheerleader and me. All that was missing was the gay kid. "Where's Kurt?"

"Oh he's coming." Tina said. Then suddenly, we all started jamming. We jammed on 80's rock, The Script, Bruno Mars, Maroon 5 and Rachel did some sort of Barbra Streisand stuff. Until the nurses came in and started shouting at us because the people in the deaf ward were complaining about the noise. Weird.

Then everything went quiet. Then Quinn stood up. "Everybody, I have something to say."

Everybody looked at her. She took my good hand and held it up for everybody to see.

"Wait, you two are…dating now?" Santana asked. Quinn nodded and then Santana said, "It's that pregnant thing all over again." Everyone in the room froze and I just like that, everybody knew.

_Quinn's POV_

Everybody in McKinley was in the initial shock that we were dating. To be honest I knew telling them at the hospital was sort of…a surprise. I didn't tell Puck. I just had to get it out there. So, after a few weeks, Puck's arm healed and everything went back to normal. Almost. Sam. I still sort of felt bad after I had to break things off with him. Silence filled our relationship but we go to the same church and we have a few Bible studies but other than that…it was dead ringer. Everyone kept looking at us like we did something wrong but they quickly came to fear us. It felt good to be with Puck again and it felt like I wasn't being pressured into this.

The snow fell on Lima and it quickly became a snow storm. The holidays were early and everybody was just as happy as I was. It was December 23, Friday and I was watching PLL (Pretty Little Liars) re-runs and my phone vibrated. It was Puck.

"Hey. What are you doing this Saturday?"

"Nothing. Just the usual. My mom's going out of town to see Nana and she won't be back until the 29th."

"Oh. Um, can you come over?"

"Why?"

"My mom and Sarah are going away for a little bit. I thought you wanted to…hang out."

"Hang out?"

"Sure. Like, we could…bake gingerbread houses and eat up all the gingerbread people. Who am I kidding? It sucks to be by yourself on Christmas."

"I know the feeling."

"So…will you come over?"

"Yeah. Definitely."

December 24th.

It was freezing. The snow was falling heavily and most of the roads were closed off. The days leading up to Christmas didn't feel so…Christmas-y. I just didn't get that vibe that it really wasn't Christmas. Usually being in the Christmas mood meant seeing my mom and dad by the fire, getting all cozied up and drinking hot chocolate and watching all those Christmas re-runs of shows like, Friends and watching movies that involve Christmas like, It's a Wonderful Life and weirdly enough, ELF. But I really wasn't in the holiday mood. My mom was going out of town and I chose to stay in Lima. Mostly because I was kind of tired but all the same.

It was almost eight and I went to Puck's house. I was lucky that the road wasn't closed off like the rest. I knocked on the door and almost immediately Puck showed. A huge grin on his face. I couldn't help but grin back. He welcomed me inside and all these memories rushed into my head. It was all so familiar."You look gorgeous." He commented as he took my coat and put on the coat hanger. My heart pounded. He kissed me on the cheek I couldn't help but hug him. "So I see you brought a little…something-something." He said, eyeing the champagne bottle in my hand. I raised it. "I thought this was a special occasion."

. "It is. I just didn't expect you to bring anything." He said, going into the kitchen. I settled down on the couch. I felt so at home here. It surprised me.

"You want anything?" He called.

"What do you have?"

"A box of raisins and Twinkies." He admitted. I heard the closing of a refrigerator door and he came out with two wine flutes and a container of what seemed to be chocolate dip and strawberries. He set it on the coffee table and he popped the champagne. He poured it into the flutes and made a toast. "To…I don't know."

"To being together." I said, feeling this warm fuzzy feeling spread all over. "Cheers to that." He said. He downed the drink. He opened up the container and dipped the strawberry in the chocolate. He held it in front of me like I was baby. "Open up." He said in a sing songy voice. Just like what you do when you try to get a baby to open its mouth. But when I was about to open up the he wiped the chocolate end of the strawberry on the tip of my nose. And then on my cheek. I laughed along with him. "Do you want me to wipe it off?" He suggested, moving closer to me. Without hesitation he kissed the tip of my nose. I pulled him closer to me, our bodies just inches apart. Just as he was about to kiss me his lips hit a chocolate covered strawberry. I wiped it down to his lips all the way to his throat and he whispered against my lips, "Touche'."

He wiped the chocolate off my nose and kissed me. My stomach felt like it was stuffed with a million butterflies. He kissed my neck and I pulled his shirt towards mine. He broke away. "We should do this somewhere else." He led me up to his bedroom. My breath caught in my throat.

The room was dark, lit by only four candles. There was a Bose iPod sounddock and it was blasting John Mayer's "Your Body Is A Wonderland". I walked inside and I laid down on the bed. It still smelled like him. He laid down on top of me and I said, "This is so cheesy." He smiled.

_One thing left to do _

_Discover me, discovering you_

"I guess it is. But who doesn't like cheese huh?" He kissed me again, deeply, passionately. I kissed him back, feeling bliss clinging to every inch of our bodies. His hands on my lower back and our bodies fitting perfectly against each other. He slipped off my dress and I took off his shirt.

_One mile to every inch of _

_your skin like porcelain _

_One pair of candy lips _

_and your bubblegum tongue_

We knew what was on our minds that night and he whispered in my ear, "Do you really want to do this?" I nodded but he still didn't look convinced. He kissed my neck. I couldn't get enough of him. His hand went to the calf of my leg and he wrapped it around his waist. He grazed his lips on my jawline.

_And if you want love_

_we'll make it _

_swim in a deep sea of blankets_

_take all your big plans_

_and break 'em _

_this is bound to be awhile _

There was this spot on my neck that he kissed and I moaned lightly in his ear. I hugged my body closer to his and let them merge together. He looked deep into my eyes again and he asked, "Do you?"

"I do." I pressed my lips against his ear and then I said, "If you have protection." He smiled.

I guess there's a reason why they call it making love. Because it was with the person you love. It wasn't my first time, of course but it was even better because I knew that I loved him.

**Author's Note: **_Thanks for all the reviews… =)) _


	8. A Letter from NY

My eyelids fluttered slowly opened. My hair was all over my face. The sound of noisy snow plows on the street gurgled in my ears. I felt dazed, like I just woke up from a killer hangover. There were unfamiliar surroundings. Rock band posters, blown out candles on the nightstands. Then the memories of last night rushed into my mind like a flood. I smiled. My bare body was wrapped up in his sheets and I wrapped it tighter around me, the chills crawling up my spine. Puck was gone. I grabbed a blue button down from his closet and buttoned myself in it. I went downstairs and I saw Puck, staring at a pile of mail. But I was too happy to really get his expression. I wrapped my arms around his neck from behind kissed his cheek. "Good morning." I said, chipper as I felt.

As soon as he saw me he smiled. "You seem happy."

My lips stretched into a grin. I sat next to him and said, "I had a great time last night."

He smirked. "Yeah, me too." I sat next to him. He put his arm over my shoulder and pulled me closer to him. His skin burned with warmth and I spotted the pile of mail he was frowning at a minute ago. I picked one up and said, "What's this?" He looked at it for a second and looked into my eyes. A moment ago he was happy just as I was and now, he was dead serious. "It's…it's for us." He opened it and there was a folded letter in there. I looked at it, not sure what I was looking at. "It was from…from Shelby." Shelby? That meant one thing. Beth. I slowly opened the note; feeling my heart beat slowly and thumping in my ears. Puck curled his hand around mine and it calmed me down a little. Beth was part of my life for only about two minutes. Two minutes, I held her in my arms, feeling swelled up with joy. The pain was gone. Nine months conceived with her and I never saw someone so beautiful in my life and just like that she was whisked away. Given to Shelby Corcoran. It was selfish but it was the right thing to do. I wasn't ready for motherhood. I was completely shut off from her life from the very moment I gave her to Shelby. There were no notes, letters, nothing.

This was the very first time that I got to hear from her and I didn't know how to feel about it. My fingers traced the smooth edges of the letter and at first I didn't think this was real. The night with Puck, my break up with Sam, the Halloween Dance…but it was. I held my breath as soon as I opened it.

_Dear Puck and Quinn, _

_This is my first time to ever write to you and honestly, I'm not really sure what I feel. First of all, I want to say Merry Christmas and I hope that things have been going great for you two. Things have happened since you gave Beth to me and as you know we live in New York now. Lived is the exact word. I'm not sure how to put it in words but I'll do the best I can. Things haven't been as smooth as I planned. I've quit my stints on Broadway to take care of Beth and she's been doing good. The problem is, when you have a child, money becomes an obligation and my Broadway income has decreased the more I take my time to take care of Beth. I decided to take matters into my own hands. With not a lot of money and not a lot of time, I began work as a singing waitress at a bar near our apartment to keep an eye on Beth. We were able to survive for a few months and then they replaced me with a much younger and more attractive girl in order to gain more customers. They deemed that I was too old and I was forced to quit. I had several odd jobs and soon I couldn't pay for rent. I moved in with my alcoholic cousin who ran a beauty salon. It worked for a few weeks and then I couldn't take it. We were miserable. She often had parties and it turned chaotic. The thing is I want to move back to Ohio and maybe work as a teacher in McKinley. It's a long shot but I have enough money to go back there. I know that being back in your lives means more trouble but it could work. Maybe I could move in with Will or maybe with one of my colleagues and it's a chance to see her. To see Beth. Think about it. _

_Shelby_

I was struck. She was just like Rachel. She managed to make the letter about her even though it was about Beth. "She sounds desperate." Puck said, breaking the silence. My mind seemed to reel back and forth from the time I held Beth in my arms, the first time Puck said he loved me and the moment I gave Beth away. "She is desperate." I said, I couldn't really think. Puck had his head in his hand and he said, "What are we gonna do?"

"I seriously don't know."

"We can't just let them suffer out there in New York."

I was so confused. I wanted Beth here but at the same time I didn't. I didn't want my life to change. It was perfect just the way it is. "I don't want her here." It slipped out.

"What do you mean?"

"We can't. Everything's just fine without them Puck and we don't need them to change that." I protested. His expression was blank. "I mean, life's just great without them here. We have each other and all we need to do now is survive another year at McKinley and we have our futures ahead of us. We can't let them ruin that."

"Don't you think that's a little selfish?"

"What?"

"They need a home. Beth needs a home."

"I know that." Then, after awhile I said, "This is so…"

"Weird?"

"Yeah." Puck started cracking his knuckles. "I think…I think we should eat breakfast before dealing with this. Maybe some Eggos would help clear all this shit." I smiled. We went to the kitchen where he toasted some Eggos. He threw on some coffee and bacon. We both ate in silence, smiling at each other from time to time. Then his eyes lit up and he said, "Do you know what day it is?" I raised my eyebrow. "What?"

"Merry Christmas Quinn." He smirked and made his way toward me and kissed my forehead. "Merry Christmas to you too." Breakfast was finished and he skipped to his room. I sat on the couch, thinking about the letter. Puck came back from his room he had something in his hand. He sat beside me and said, "Um, since it's Christmas…I…it's kind of…I just wanted to give you this." He pulled out a silver heart-shaped locket. "Where'd you get this?"

He looked sheepish. "Um, I stole it from Tiffany's actually."

"Puck - " I started. I forgot what a badass he was. "No. Look inside. I'm not really confident that you'd like it." He said, as he put it on my neck, his fingertips touching my skin. I reluctantly opened it. Inside, was a picture of Beth. She was sleeping, her face like an angel. Her skin looked silky and untouched by human hands. Her cheeks were blood red. I couldn't stop the tears. She looked so peaceful. I instantly felt guilty. I did want her here. Instantly, Puck pulled me in his arms and I buried my face in his neck. He stroked my hair and said, "I'm sorry I gave you a sucky gift. I'll make it up to you."

"No. It's beautiful. Where'd you get the picture?"

"It was inside the letter."

"I'm sorry I didn't get you anything."

"Naw, it's okay."

"About the Beth thing…"

"Yeah?" Now he was enthusiastic.

"I think we can make it work."


End file.
